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Bill Yee's career path has not been smooth, straight, or without bumps, but he's happy about where it has brought him.
Yee is president and CEO of Western Contract Furnishers Inc., one of the area's largest providers of office and home furniture.
He started out to be an architect, but instead went to design school, took a temporary contract job with Western Contract and then was hired full time. He left briefly after a couple of years, came back, left again, and came back again. Now he's the boss.
In design school, he said, "I was taught that design was an art, drawing was an art." But shortly after he started with Western Contract the firm, started using CADD (computer-aided design and drafting), and he had to learn a whole new set of skills.
Yee's second depart departure from Western Contract was in 1989. He came back a year later, and has been there ever since. He became president this year after longtime chief executive David Purser resigned. Yee declined to discuss the job change, saying only that Purser was "a wonderful man, a close friend, and he'll continue to be my close friend."
He is enjoying his new responsibilities, he said, at the same time lamenting that "I don't get to do the fun stuff anymore. No designing at all."
BACKGROUND
* Age: 44
* Education: Associate's degree in environmental design, Cosumnes River College; professional designation associate's degree in interior design, Fashion Institute of Design and merchandising, San Francisco
* Residence: Sacramento
* Native of: Sacramento
* Family: Wife, Tracie; daughter Meghan, 15; sons Bryce, 12, and Spencer, 9
THE COMPANY
Hectic times: "Western Contract Furnishers is headquartered here in (Rancho Cordova). We have this one showroom on Folsom Boulevard, plus an attached mid-market retail franchise, Office Furniture USA, and a residential business model right next door.
"It is very hectic right now. We had a very good contract with the state for many years, to provide all the furniture for all the state offices. Then we lost it. We were just outbid. It was a disappointment, but we've adapted. We knew the day would come, so we were prepared.
"It's been a very difficult time, but things are starting to pick...